Drop wire for knitting machines



Oct. 15, 1963 A. HOLTZ 3,106,829

DROP WIRE FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed Feb. 1, 1961 INVENTOR. ABBA/JAM H0472 United States Patent Abraham Holtz, Haworth, N.J., assignor to Beacon Looms, Inc., New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed Feb. 1, 1961, Ser. No. 86,505 2 Claims. (Cl. 66-163) This invention relates to drop wires for knitting machines and has for one of its objects the provision of an article of this character which will effectively perform all of the functions of the conventional drop wire while also performing the function of aiding in the tracing and separating of the threads extending from the warp beam.

Drop wires as conventionally constructed and used are usually metallic strips having an eyelet at one end through which a thread from the warp beam passes. Each of the drop wires, being suspended on one of the threads, serves to provide some tension thereon and in addition it operates to stop the operation of the machine upon breakage of a thread, by descending and coming into contact with an electrobar which extends through a slot in each of the drop wires. Thus, when any one of the threads breaks, the drop wire through which that particular thread passes, will drop down and come into contact with the electrobar and interrupt the electric circuit to the machine so that the machine will stop. Upon the operator connecting the ends of the broken thread the machine can be restored to operation.

It is one of the objects of the present invention to provide a drop wire which will not only perform the operations above described but which will aid the operator in the replacement of a warp beam. When a warp beam has its thread depleted, the threads therefrom must be tied to the threads of the new warp beam, and the threads must be connected properly. That is to say, the first thread of the warp must be connected to the thread extending to the first needle; the second thread to the second needle and so on. Since a warp beam carries a very substantial number of the threads error may readily occur if the threads cannot be readily located. Usually an operator is required to trace each thread from its respective drop wire and place a bar or some other separating element between the threads to thereby locate them in the required over and under relationship.

It is an object of the invention to provide drop wires having means by which every other thread can be raised simultaneously so that all of the raised threads can be connected with the proper threads on the new warp beam, and thereafter the alternating dropwires can be raised so that the threads passing through their eyelets can be easily located and tied to the proper threads in the warp beam.

It is an object of the invention to provide a drop wire so constructed that when a plurality of them are suspended on a knife-edged support, every other drop wire on the support will have its lower end extending in the same direction so that such drop wires can be readily identified and separated from those whose lower ends extend in the opposite direction.

It is an object of the invention to provide a drop wire which will not only perform all of the functions of the conventional type, but which will have identifying means as well as means by which it, and similarly positioned drop wires can be engaged and separated from differently positioned drop wires.

With these and other objects to be hereinafter set forth in view, I have devised the arrangement of parts to be described and more particularly pointed out in the claims appended hereto.

3,1 96,829 Patented Oct. 15, 1963 In the accompanying drawing, wherein an illustrative embodiment of the invention is disclosed;

FIG. 1 is a face view of a drop wire made according to this invention;

FIG. 2 is a view showing two of the drop wires as the same appear when raised by suspension above the knifeedged electro-bar and two of the drop wires as they appear after having fallen down and resting on the knifeedged electro-bar;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view, taken substantially on the line 33 of FIG. 2, looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of a number of the drop wires positioned upon an electro-bar.

The drop wire forming the subject of the present invention is generally indicated at 1 and the same is preferably composed of a narrow, flat strip of sheet metal. Adjacent to one of its ends, it is provided with an aperture 2 constituting an eyelet through which one of the threads 3, extending from the warp beam of a knitting machine, passes. In the machine, one of these drop wires is suspended from each of the warp threads.

Located centrally of the strip 1 is an elongated slot 4 having one end terminating adjacent to the eyelet 2, which end of the slot has one of its edges extending angularly as indicated at 5 in FIG. 1 to produce a pointed terminal or apex 6. At its opposite end, the strip is formed with a notch 7, the longer edge thereof being formed by a finger 8 having an inclined outer edge shown at 9. A shorter finger 10 is located at the opposite side of the notch.

In the use of these drop wires, one of them is suspended on each of the threads extending from the warp beam of the machine, with the drop wires arranged alternately and with their slots 4 in registry so that the conventional ele-ctrobar '11 can pass through all of the aligned slots in the known manner as shown in FIG. 4.

When it is desired to connect the threads to those of a new warp beam, the drop wires are inserted over the electro-b ar 11, having a sharp or knife-edge '12, by means of the slots 4, and when said edge 12 engages against the apices 6 of the slots 4 of all of the drop wires, the lower ends of every other drop wire will incline in one direction, while the drop wires between those so inclined will have their lower ends inclined in the opposite direction as shown in FIG. 2. In the drawing, the drop wires in one group are indicated at 1 and those in the other group at 10.

Next a rod or bar may be inserted in all of the notches 7 in the drop wires of one group and when said rod or bar is raised all of the drop wires in that group will be elevated and thus will facilitate passing of the threads through them. The alternating threads in the warp beam are usually separated by a socalled lease thread which is entwined between the warp threads so as to easily identify each alternating warp thread. The raised threads can then be lowered and the second group of drop wires then are raised by a rod or bar inserted in their notches 7. With the lease threads in position, the threads from the warp beam are prevented from crossing one another and it is easy :for the operator to locate the individual threads for connection of the same to the threads of the new warp beam.

It will be noted that the knife-edge 12 is insulated from the bar 11 by insulating material 13 and current is supplied through the wires 14 and '15. When the knitting machine operates normally, the current passes through the bar 11 to the operating mechanism, but as soon as a drop wire falls down on the edge 12, the mechanism will be short circui-ted through the wire 14.

Having thus described a single embodiment of the invention, it is obvious that the same is not to be restricted thereto, but is broad enough to cover all structures coming within the scope of the annexed claims.

What I claim is:

l. A drop wire arrangement for knitting machines comprising, a plurality of drop wires each having an eye through which a warp thread extends, the drop wires being arranged so that every other one of them faces in the same direction while those between face in the opposite direction, each of the drop wires having an elongated slot terminating in an angular part at its upper end whereby an element passed through the slots of all of the drop wires and contacting with the upper ends of the slots of the same will cause the lower ends of alternate drop wires to all incline outwardly and in the same direction, each of the drop wires having a notch in its lower end for the reception of a member to simultaneously raise all of the drop wires that incline outwardly in the same direction.

2. A drop wire arrangement for knitting machines comprising, a plurality of drop wires each of which is provided with an eye near its upper end through which a warp thread extends, each of the drop wires having an elongated slot located below the eye and having an angular part at its upper edge, the drop wires alternately facing in opposite directions on the warp thread whereby a knifeedged element extending through the slots and contacting with the angular upper portions thereof will incline a1- ternate drop wires in one direction and will incline the drop wires located between the alternate drop wires in the opposite direction, each of the drop wires being notched at its lower end for the reception of a member to either simultaneously elevate all of the alternate drop wires or to simultaneously elevate the drop wires that are located between the alternate ones.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS l,1 l6,0()3 Ashton Nov. 3, 1914 1,153,857 Blair Sept. 14, 1915 2,814,088 Ayars et 'al Nov. 26, 1957 2,834,381 Grangier May 13, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS 468,879 Germany Nov. 23, 1928 

1. A DROP WIRE ARRANGEMENT FOR KNITTING MACHINES COMPRISING, A PLURALITY OF DROP WIRES EACH HAVING AN EYE THROUGH WHICH A WARP THREAD EXTENDS, THE DROP WIRES BEING ARRANGED SO THAT EVERY OTHER ONE OF THEM FACES IN THE SAME DIRECTION WHILE THOSE BETWEEN FACE IN THE OPPOSITE DIREC-ION TION, EACH OF THE DROP WIRES HAVING AN ELONGATED SLOT TERMINATING IN AN ANGULAR PART AT ITS UPPER END WHEREBY AN ELEMENT PASSED THROUGH THE SLOTS OF ALL THE DROP WIRES 